Head of the Sector of Energy Efficiency of the Federal Ministry of Physical Planning Jasmina Katica said that energy efficiency represents a great opportunity for the BH economy, but that the lack of political will is also an obstacle for that sector.
Katica explained that the study conducted by the World Bank prior to launching the project of energy efficiency in B&H showed that, in opposition to the power consumption in the buildings as it is now, the potential is great and it includes the engagement of primarily construction, engineering, and consulting companies.
Katica emphasized that the World Bank concluded that investing in the measures of energy efficiency permanently creates new jobs and realizes significant savings in the budgets. She also explained that, thanks to the adoption of European directives on energy efficiency, new professions emerged, such as the so-called energy auditors who conduct energy audits in the buildings and energy certification, and those are primarily architects, and construction, mechanical and electrical engineers who pass the scheduled training course.
Katica stated that there are currently 15 companies authorized for those jobs in the FB&H, which made around 400 certificates, and the potential is far greater because a lot of buildings, especially the public ones, must obtain that certificate. She specified that the certificate is an indicator of power consumption in a certain building and it contains measures necessary for bringing the facility to the satisfying level of consumption, which is 95 kW per square meter.
Katica emphasized that an obstacle for taking advantage of that potential is the failure to adopt the Law on Energy Efficiency in FB&H which is systematic and mandatory for the cantons, and which has been waiting for adoption in the Parliament for two years, although the law is entirely apolitical.
Moreover, due to noncompliance with the obligations towards the Energy Community, already quite certain sanctions are threatening B&H, and those obligations include the adoption of laws and bylaws, the Action plan on energy efficiency at the level of B&H, and the Law on Gas.
(Source: novovrijeme.ba)
